Last week the crisis caused stations at Cheadle, Irlam, Mossley, and Littleborough to temporarily close.

Tomorrow it will mean 49 out of 56 engines are on the road and on Thursday 48.

Fire chiefs and union bosses will meet in London tomorrow to try and resolve the dispute.

But as the brigade struggles with huge budget cuts, Fire Brigades Union Executive Council member, Kevin Brown, who was attending the talks, said: “Our concern is that looking at what has happened in other brigades reducing two pump stations to one permanently could be the long term aim of the management.”

Crews work fixed and flexible shifts but union bosses say the brigade is running out of flexible shifts which allow firefighters to be called in to meet shortages in 2013/14.

Management say the problem is caused by the FBU banning its members from doing overtime. This is refuted by the union who say firefighters are contracted to get time and a half for overtime but are only being offered flat rate overtime.

One firefighter said: “Other people, in our management, are getting paid a fortune compared to firefighters and the public should rightly ask are they doing a good job at the moment.

“The problem is deeper than just the overtime issue. The management have a big task infront of them regarding finances. Cutting jobs and reducing the establishment could be on the agenda. Greater Manchester is a very large, densely populated area. If you keep taking engines off the road sooner or later someone will be in strife.”

County Fire Officer, Steve McGuirk, said: “It is very misleading for us to say pumps are ‘on’ or ‘off’ on a station by station basis as it implies there will be no emergency response for that station and causes unnecessary alarm.”

He insisted that adequate cover would be provided. During strikes by firefighters around Christmas and New Year the brigade copes with just 21 engines on the road.

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